Because I am not a baker at heart, I am always on a quest for easy to prepare desserts with that WOW factor... great taste and stunningly good looks and of course easy to make. Over the next couple of months I will be posting a series of WOW factor desserts. The first is a very easy and very versitile fruit flan.

This flan is a real master of disguise! Tonight it was served as a mixed berry fruit flan, but next week it could be a rich chocolate cherrry cordial flan.

My favorite kind of recipes are those that are more like formulas than recipes with writen-in-stone directions and ingredients.

Unsing this flan recipe, with a quick change of the cake or sauce or filling or whipped cream flavor you can have a new and exciting flan. You are only limited by your imagination!

The secret to this recipe is the pan. A fluted flan pan is necessary. It molds a rim that is easy to fill with all kinds of delicious goodies.

Snow is, AGAIN, on the way! So this week's menu is filled with warm and cozy comfort food that is sure to be filling. Because of the stick-to-your-ribs recipes this week, I also added 2 favorite fish dishes. Scallops in a Caper Wine Reduction (heaven!) and Salmon Pinwheels Stuffed with Lobster (from grocer's). Although the snow is going to swirl, Bobby is breaking out the grill. I miss a good grilled flank steak. So I am indulging my hankering and asking my hubby to put on his snow boots to grill!

If you try 1 thing this week it should be the marinade for the steak. This recipe is a staple in my kitchen. I use it on all meats- beef, chicken, pork. It is also wonderful to use as a dressing for roasted veggies. And don't forget to make it as a salad dressing. So yummy!

Monday:White ChiliCooked RiceCoslaw

Recipe: White Chili
This delicious recipe is from my friend at Butter Yum. Rich and filling and perfect for a winter day.

Tuesday:Grilled Marinated Flank SteakScallopped PotatoesWedge Salad

Recipe: Grilled Marinated Flank Steak
This is my go-to marinade for just about everything- meat, veggies, fleshy fish. I also love it as a salad dressing. Make sure to try this one!

Whisk all ingredients together in a bowl. Put in a ziplock bag. Add 2-3 lb flank steak. Marinade for at least 2 hours, or up to 10. Heat grill pan, or bar-b-que grill till hot. Grill steak until medium rare. Take steak plate off grill and plate. Let steak rest for 10 minutes. Cut across the grain and serve.

I have been in a cooking mood lately. I blame it on the snow! We have had two major snow storms in the last two weeks and this week we were literally snowed in. The road in front of our home was drifted shut until yesterday late afternoon. So what's a girl to do? This girl cooks!

For breakfast yesterday I made some delicious, light as air cream scones (new recipe- look for a post soon) and wanted to make something yummy to drip all over and out of them. I had frozen raspberries in my freezer so I made a lovely sweet and fruity raspberry sauce. We ate it warm on the scones, and I am using it as a filling for a dessert next week (and upcoming post). This sauce is oh, so easy to make and will turn any dessert into a culinary creation!

Ladled into a sweet jar with a bow and a lovely sentiment, it makes a thoughtful gift too! That is if you don't eat it first! In that case make sure to double the recipe.

Thaw raspberries. In a saucepan add cornstarch, sugar and just enough water to cover the mixture. Stir to disolve. Add lemon juice and raspberries and any juice. Heat till just bubbling. Stir occasionally to keep from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Simmer for 5 minutes and raise heat to gentle boil. Stir until thickened, about 1 minute. Take off heat. Stir in liqueur.

Place sauce in a strainer with a bowl under it and strain out most of the seeds. I like a little bit of seeds in my sauce. Serve immediately or cool in refrigerator. Keep refrigerated.

I am joining Beverly at How Sweet the Sound for Pink Saturday. Join the fun and visit some very wonderful and talented people!

This recipe has been adapted from one I saw in a magazine (can't remember which one). I was so intrigued by the concept that makes this lasagna. Using a minimum of ingredients and using them very smartly, this lasagna is so tasty and can be embellished to make it your own.

The most clever thing about this recipe is that frozen cheese ravioli is used in place of lasagna noodles and ricotta cheese mixture.I was a little skeptical at first, I don't like the taste of "raw" noodles. But honestly, I could not taste even a hint of raw flavor. Go ahead, use the ravioli frozen. Oh happy day! So much less work, absolutely all the taste.

In a large skillet heat oil over medium heat. With casing removed, put turkey in pan and break up. Cook through. Set aside.

Thaw spinach in microwave. Put spinach in a smooth napped kitchen towel and squeeze out all the liquid. Put in a small bowl. Add pesto, and stir to incorporate. Set aside.

Using a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with tall sides, layer the ingredients. Put 1/3 jar of tomato sauce in the bottom of baking dish and add 1/2 turkey. Place a layer of frozen ravioli on top of turkey to cover. Make little rows.
Put 1/2 the spinach mixture on top of the ravioli. Sprinkle 1/3 bag of cheese. Place a layer of ravioli over the cheese and 1/3 pasta sauce over the ravioli. Put the remainder of the sausage on top of the pasta sauce. Place another layer of ravioli. Put the remaining spinach mixture on top of the ravioli and 1/3 bag of cheese.
Put last row of ravioli on top. Cover with remaining pasta sauce and cheese.

Bake for 1 hour. Check this. It should be steaming hot and cheese melted. I made mine in a 9 x 9 baking dish and the time might be a little diffferent.

Remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes. Cut and serve.

Options:
There are so many interesting ways you could make this. Try all pesto, vodka sauce or alfredo sauce. How about adding pepperoni, or olives, fresh mozzarella, small meatballs etc. Diced chicken would make it very hardy. I like sliced hard boiled eggs in my lasagna. Adding broccoli instead of spinach would be another option. Recipes like this are very exciting to me. They are more a culinary formula that I can experiment with depending on my mood and what I have on hand.

This is really a wonderfully delicious and very easy lasagna. You can keep all the ingredients on hand and make it up in no time!

I am participating in Foodie Friday at Designs By Gollum. I find the best recipes, yummy idea and nicest people there!

My Valentine and I are having a special dinner. I am not one for going out on a holidays- I think the food is not as good and the tempo rushed. So we are eating in front of the fire at an intimate little table for two.

The table is set with sentimentality and romace in mind. The china is my wedding china. Noritake White Nile. It has a lovely geometric band of soft color and a stylized orchid off-set in the middle of the plate. I think it is more Art Deco than Egyptian. Many of the elements of the table tonight have a special meaning for my husband and I.

The china cups have the same geometric bands and white orchid. The china has a handpainted gold rim.

The tablecloth is a white iridescent organza. It is sheer and light and translucent.

The tablecloth has a shimmery quality in candlelight.

The soft-hued metalic damask napkins are folded to resemble flowers. Look for a tutorial soon.

Orchids tucked here and there continue the theme.

Waterford Lizmore water and wine goblets were also wedding gifts.

The centerpiece is a silver champagne bucket, another wedding gift. It sat in my cupboard and only came out on special occasions. While on a trip to Savannah I found this fabulous way of using it all year long. By filling it with an orchid and spanish moss, it gains the center of attention in my foyer- now moved to be the star of my Valentine table. I carried an orchid on my wedding day, like my mother, as a tribute to her.